Runaway Fox
Chapter Fifteen: The Fox Speaks
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and his friends. I own story and the Scotts along with all the new concepts. Mine. All mine.
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Harry stood there frozen, staring at the person he hadn't seen for the last five years. Not only did he get caught for being in Ron's house without his permission, he also got caught going through his very personal things. Harry knew only part of what Ron had been through. Ron didn't look angry at.
"What did you see that made you pull away so fast?" asked Ron calmly. Harry realized that Ron was taller than the last time he had seen him. Ron was a good distance away from him, but Harry could see the size that Ron's shadow cast into the dimly lightened room.
Harry was breathing deeply. "Hello Ron," he said finally.
"It's been a while, Harry," said Ron with a slight smile.
Harry smiled back because he knew that there was no need to really apologize for such a stupid argument that happened five years ago. Furthermore, he was just happy to see Ron. "Um…sorry about this," he said quickly, realizing that he was still accountable for the fact that he was in Ron's home.
"It's all right," said Ron in a calm voice. He walked passed Harry to the pensieve and picked it up. He walked over to a safe and opened it using at least three spells and a Muggle combination lock. He put the pensieve in there and closed it. Harry noticed that Ron didn't reactivate the spells, so he assumed that the safe automatically did it. "Want to go for a walk?" he asked Harry.
Harry nodded not knowing what Ron really wanted. They both walked down the corridor and were met by Jonathon. "Hello Mr. Weasley. Who is this?" asked the elderly British gentleman. He spotted the scar on Harry's forehead and nodded, "Ah, Mr. Potter. My apologizes for not recognizing you immediately and to you, Mr. Weasley, for not being diligent enough about keeping intruders out."
"It's all right, Jonathon. Don't worry about losing your job," said Ron with a ruefully smile. Jonathon bowed and walked away from them.
"You have a large house," commented Harry. He was rather uncomfortable.
"Thank you," said Ron; he was as uncomfortable as Harry. They walked together until they were outdoors. Ron breathed a sigh of relief as if he was glad to get out of the house.
"Ron…it's good to see you," said Harry with a smile.
"What did you see?" asked Ron again as he looked directly into Harry's green eyes.
Harry looked away from him. "I saw how your friends died. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude. I'm sorry for what happened to you," he whispered. He didn't know what else to say.
"I thought you were going to say that it would have been better if I never left England in the first place," said Ron.
"I wouldn't do that. I shouldn't have said that I wouldn't care if you had disappeared," said Harry.
"You said that?"
"You don't remember? I said that. You told me to go to Hell."
"I did?"
"Yes, you did."
"Oh, I forgot. It happened five years ago, Harry."
"Yes. You've had other things to think about. Simon didn't say anything about how they died. He just said they did. He didn't say anything about you getting hurt," said Harry. There was a fear in his voice. It was the same fear that Simon had before. The fear that Ron heard.
"I'm fine now," said Ron.
"You're lying. I can tell. I could always tell when you were lying, Ron. I've known you for more than half my life. Okay, maybe the last five years don't count, but I still know when you're lying," said Harry with concern.
"No, I'm not," answered Ron. Here's your chance to finally talk to someone who understands what you've been through. He's here. Simon can't possibly understand, but Harry can. You don't want to tell Hermione, so you've got to tell him, said a voice in his mind. "You didn't watch it long enough," he said.
"I had to stop. I didn't want to see you get hurt," said Harry simply.
"You didn't see how I pleaded with Marcus not to shoot himself. You didn't see how I promised Mari that I would always love Hermione. You didn't see how much Mari loved me," said Ron. He didn't see the look of surprise that he was expecting from Harry, rather he saw a look of compassion on his face.
"I know that you love Hermione. I figured that out myself. But, I didn't know that Mari loved you. I'm not really that surprised. She got in front of you to protect you. So, you didn't need to tell me that if it hurts you. You don't have to tell me anything and I'm sorry for invading your privacy," said Harry.
"No, I need you. You're the only one who could possibly understand what I've been through. And I don't want to talk to anyone else," admitted Ron.
Harry figured out that the person who was in front of him was Ron. An older, wiser person who knew when to set aside his pride, so Harry decided to do the same. "Yeah, well, Hermione's a great best friend, but she's not you. And Ginny's wonderful, but she's my wife. There are times where I'd like to talk to someone who would at least try to sympathize with me. Ginny and Hermione tend to not take some of my complaints seriously." This was about as close to saying he missed him as he wanted to get.
"Oh, like I would take your complaints seriously," said Ron sarcastically.
"I guess I can't win," said Harry with a laugh. Now that was the Ron he remembered.
Both of them were smiling, but they broke out soon enough in laughter.
~*~
Hermione and Charlie went back to the inn that he and Harry were staying at. "I'll go and check if Harry's done yet," said Hermione.
"Wait, miss, Mr. Potter's gone out," said the lady at the counter. Hermione paused in her steps and turned to look at Charlie.
"What do you mean he went out?" asked Charlie.
"He went out, Mr. Wealsey. He didn't say where he was going," said the lady with a shrug.
"Where do you supposed Harry went?" asked Hermione.
"Maybe to the Owl Post to get his letters going," said Charlie. The Owl Post from America and Britain was a long way of sending mail. The letters had to be passed from owl to owl because the journey was far too long for any single owl. They both went to the post only to find out that Harry never came there. They had been all over the Cove while Harry was supposedly writing his letters.
"He went to Ron's," said Hermione and Charlie in unison. Hermione sighed immediately.
"That wasn't the plan," said Charlie as he looked around him. He spotted the San Francisco wizards' newspaper called New Magic Daily. He saw something that caught his eye and fumbled for the ten knuts to pay for the paper. "What?" asked Hermione.
There was a smile on Charlie's face. "It's about my dad."
"What?" asked Hermione as she looked over his shoulder to read the article that caught Charlie's eye. The article announced the completions of the elections for the Minister of Magic in England. Mr. Arthur Wealsey won in an unprecedented write in campaign. He didn't even bother to run, but people in the Ministry chose him as the new minister. "This is wonderful!" exclaimed Hermione. It was just the kind of news that could temporarily snap her out of her sadness over Ron.
"I can't believe it. Dad didn't want to run. He said that he wanted to get in touch with Ron first, so he took time off from the Ministry," said Charlie. The article said that Mr. Weasley was to be sworn in a few weeks. The Ministry of Magic had problems because of what happened to Cornelius Fudge. He was killed by Voldemort, but it was his own fault for not taking Voldemort's return seriously during Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts. After that, there was a time of chaos in the Ministry as the upper levels kept changing position to keep the head spot filled. Mr. Weasley filled in the longest, but stop because he was a member of Dumbledore's group. He was more needed there. And that was why he resisted any attempt to keep him as the head of the Ministry without an election. Mr. Weasley wanted to find his youngest son who had left without a word. His family didn't feel complete with Ron.
"I say we go and get something to celebrate with. We can yell at Harry later and find out what he's learned at Ron's," suggested Hermione. She didn't want to go to Ron's house right now.
"Okay," agreed Charlie.
~*~
Harry and Ron talked for hours. The house elves brought them tea and some cake to enjoy in Ron's backyard. Harry got the ball going by telling Ron about Jessica. He even showed Ron a picture of his niece.
"Well, she's not really smiling here," admitted Harry as he gazed at the picture of his daughter. In fact, Jessie had a pout on her lips. She looked close to tears. Harry smiled as he passed it over to Ron. He was definitely a proud father.
"She's cute. She has your eyes," said Ron with a smile. "I'm sorry I missed your wedding."
"It's all right. I wanted you to be her godfather, but Hermione's her godmother. You weren't there," said Harry.
There was a palpable silence that lingered. "Your wedding was two months after Mari and Marcus died. I wasn't in any shape to attend. I was still in pain. The Muggle doctors tried to make me take pain killers, but I didn't. I didn't even use any memory charms to make me forget what happened. It would be wrong to do that," said Ron.
Harry noticed that Ron's hand was over his abdomen. He shook his head. "You got shot there," he said.
"Yes, the scar's still there. Did you know that Muggle doctors can get rid of scars?" asked Ron.
"Yes. They can also get rid of tattoos. I wouldn't want my scar taken away. And I doubt that it would work because my scar's magically inflicted. Besides, it's useful. At least it used to be," Harry answered. He no longer felt any pain from it because Voldemort was gone.
"I didn't want to get rid of mine. Even if they could remove it. I would still have my memories. It would desecrate the memories of my friends. Do you ever feel that way about your scar?" asked Ron as he eyed the lighting shaped scar on Harry's forehead.
"I've never thought of it that way. It stands as a reminder of how much my mother and father loved me. I know for a fact that the people who love us will continue to protect us even after death," said Harry solemnly.
Ron said nothing. Harry knew that Ron felt guilty about what happened. "She loved you. I don't think that Mari would want you to feel like it was your fault. I think she would have wanted you to live," he said.
"I'm alive, Harry," said Ron softly.
"Are you? There's a difference between living and surviving, Ron," said Harry. Ron froze in his spot and turned to look at Harry. There was something unreadable in his eyes. They both fell back into silence.
~*~
Hermione and Charlie were having some thing to eat one of the Cove's cafes. Little did Hermione, Charlie, and Harry know that the rest of the Weasley clan would be arriving soon. Charlie knew that Hermione was hiding something about Ron.
"Hermione, I know that you spent some time with Ron while he was in England," said Charlie.
"Yes, he said a few things that were unexpected. He's not the same person he was five years ago, Charlie. I don't think we can get him back. I don't think we can do anything he's not willing to do," said Hermione quietly.
"The fact that he reached out to you means that he maybe ready to come home," said Charlie.
Hermione looked at Charlie, but there was uncertainty in her eyes. Charlie gently placed his hand on top of hers. It startled her for a moment. As she looked at him, she saw Ron's eyes staring back at her. She leaned into Charlie's chest. He held her closely, but in a comforting way. "I know how you feel about him, Hermione. You were the one who was affected the most when Ron left like that. I'm sure he had his reasons for doing what he's doing," he said.
"He said something about those two people. The ones in the photograph," said Hermione quietly.
"Those two were his closest friends here, Hermione. Ron was far away from home. He was away from us. To lose some of the few people here who knew him so well must have been devastating for him, Hermione. And despite everything that almost happened to Harry and you, he never lost either of you," said Charlie.
"But, he left us. He left us to go and seek his fortune. He never had any intention of coming back to England. He never had any intention of coming back to any of us. Even me," said Hermione, voicing what had been bothering her the entire time.
"I know that he was only in England for business, but I do know that he would have found away around it if he really wanted to get out of going," insisted Charlie. Hermione pulled away from him at that moment.
"You don't have any real idea of what he's been through," she said softly.
~*~
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley along with their children just arrived in San Francisco. The new Minister of Magic and his wife looked around their surroundings. They weren't going to be staying at the Cove because of Mr. Weasley's position as the minister, the Head of the American Magical Bureau extended a hand of friendship to his English counterpart. The consult for the magic leaders were located away from the Cove. The Cove was mostly for tourists and for some of the local wizards and witches. Also, the head of the Magic Works was more than happy to accommodate the Weasley because of the Weasley that ruled the part of the business structure in San Francisco.
"I do know that Harry took the piece of paper out of Hermione's flat with the addresses on it," said Ginny weakly. She was away from her daughter for the first time. Jessica was staying with Penelope and the other children. Penelope was more than happy to have another baby in the house. She and Percy had the two children which probably accounted for the 2.1 children that most of the world's population adhered to.
"I'm sure that Mr. Richardson would be more than happy to help us out," said Mr. Weasley, referring to the head of the American Magical Bureau.
"Yes, well, that's good," said Bill. He was hoping to keep Charlie and Harry safe for the time being, but Percy had already provided where they were staying at the Cove. None of the siblings currently with Percy were too happy with him. Ginny already forgave him, but Fred and George were still holding out. Percy knew that if Ron were there he would be siding with them.
"I think we should get some rest. It's dark out there. Besides, we don't need to go and see Charlie and Harry right away. Well, it's up to you, Ginny," said Percy as he looked at his sister.
"It's fine with me. I do miss Harry, but I don't think he would be up for a fight right now," she said ruefully as she looked at her parents.
"You know that Mum's always treated Harry more gently than us," said George.
"Well, he's been a part of this family officially for a while now," said Mrs. Weasley stiffly.
"Uh-oh," muttered Fred underneath his breath. He was starting to feel sorry for Harry at that moment.
~*~
Harry couldn't get over how wise Ron had gotten in the time that he was away. However, he missed the humor that Ron once had. There was some life missing in him. Harry stayed there until dark.
"I have to get back to the Cove," said Harry. "Charlie and Hermione are probably wondering where I went."
"I'm sorry for taking up so much of your time," said Ron sincerely. Harry looked back at him. He wondered if he would get used to such a considerate Ron.
"It's all right. I did do what I wanted to do anyway. I found you. I just have to face Ginny and tell her. I think I'll let her break the news to your parents. You see we didn't tell them where we really went," said Harry.
"Master!" called a small house elf. She was smaller than the others. A child of two of Ron's house elves. Her hair was in pigtails. She was rather timid as she looked back and forth between Ron and Harry. She must have realized that she was interrupting something that her master was doing so she shrank back a bit.
"It's all right Luci," said Ron gently. "What is it?"
"Paper, sir. Something that the Master should see," said Luci as she handed it to him. "Mister Jonathon be tolding me to give it to you when he gone home."
Ron looked at the article in the paper. It was on the international news section at this point. Harry read over his shoulder. He knew immediately that it was a wizards' paper because of the moving pictures. His eyes widened when he saw the article that Ron was skimming through.
"My father's now the Minister of Magic," said Ron softly. His eyes weren't wide with surprised. He looked at the article.
"This is great. You're family's been in the news a lot. Well, there was the article about you," said Harry with grin.
"Oh! Don't talk about that," said Ron. He turned his attention back to little Luci, "Thank you very much. You did a good job. You can go and get something to eat from your mother. Tell her I said so."
"Thank you, Master! You is so kind!" said the little elf as she took off.
"I guess this makes me a member of one of the most powerful families in the wizarding world," said Harry proudly.
"I supposed it would be good to send a note congratulations through the Ministry for my father," said Ron wistfully.
"Send a note? No, you can't do that. They want to see you. Don't be afraid of what will happen, Ron. Besides, I'll be with you," said Harry.
"Thank you, Harry. I know that you are. You've always been there for me. I should have seen it sooner. I've learned never to take anyone for granted after what happened. I think my parents are better off without me. Besides, there are some things that you know about. It wouldn't make them look too good," said Ron.
Harry looked at him with concern. "You've done more than one has expected. Now, it's time to rely on someone else, Ron. I don't think they'll care what's happened. I promise I won't tell a soul about anything you've said today. I won't even tell Hermione. Or even Ginny, and you know that will be hard," he said.
"Why don't you just stay here tonight? I'm sure that the house elves will be more than happy to have a guest. Then I'll come with you to meet with Charlie and Hermione in the morning. We'll call up Simon and have him come along. And should thank him for bring Hermione here," said Ron.
"I'd be happy to stay here tonight. Thanks, Ron. It sounds like a good plan," said Harry with a nod of approval.
The house elves prepared a room for Harry that evening and made hot chocolate for them to sip while playing a few games of wizards' chess. Harry lost as he expected to. After all, his best friend was the best chess player he knew.
AN: Is a confrontation fast approaching? Perhaps. Well, let's just say a family reunion of sorts. Ron has some unresolved issues with his parents. Harry's the only one who could understand the pain that Ron went through. It's something that neither Simon nor Hermione can do. They are sort of like innocents who haven't been jaded yet. Do you think Simon and Harry can really get along for Ron's sake? Hmm. I don't know. Or will they continue the glaring contests once the truce is up? The song for this fic is Everything by Lifehouse. It's a beautiful and sad song. It pretty much describes how Ron feels about Hermione. It's soft and lingering. Also with each part I post, I seem to be getting a bigger audience. I already have an idea for the next fic…well just playing around with it for now. ^_~ Also, I tend to stall when posting because I'm kind of lazy. And I wait for reviews…I'm afraid to tell the limit of reviews I'm waiting for because that would mean that I'd have to post faster…
